STOP UNFAIR DISCRIMINATION AGAINST DOGS

I am writing this letter to you today to talk about an issue that has been on going in my community regarding the Cairns City Council. (Animal Management Team)It has come to the point now where I am reaching out for the Members of parliament to help me to get passed this and come to a solution.I have owned my Neo Mastiff x Arab since September 2014, he come to live with my partner and I when he was only 9 weeks old. We have always had animals growing up in our individual families and knew what responsibility it would take us to own a family pet. Our dog, Neo has always been a friendly natured dog, with lots of energy, very playful and has always socialised with other dogs and humans including young children and babies. We have never had to tie our dog up or put him in a cage he has always been a happy loving dog.In 2016, we were renting a property in Bentley Park. As we got settled in we soon noticed nearly every neighbour had a dog also in the street. We were in a high set home so our house was higher than the house next to us with a steel fence. Our dog Neo, jumped the fence one day and we received a phone call that our dog was out on our street roaming. He did not leave the street, he did not run away. After a few calls from neighbours concerned, as Neo is a big dog and can look intimidating to people I suppose. The council come to pick him up and take him to the pound. When we went to see the Council we were informed that Neo had bitten the council man Diary and that they were ought to deem Neo a ‘Dangerous Dog’. Neo stayed at the pound for 2 days until we paid the amount of $250 to have our poor baby come home. Now, I don’t know how they approach the animal or what happens in the instance when a dog is roaming on the streets. But I know that my dog would’ve been grabbed by a pole with a wire loop attached to it put around his neck and taken. If my dog wasn’t feeling intermediating he would not react in such a matter. I have NEVER feared my dog, my partner has never FEARED my dog and either has anyone that comes to my house.The Cost to own a dog that is deemed as a ‘Dangerous Dog’ is $250 a year in registrationWe have spent $210 (20kg-40kg dog) in castrasation for our dog as that is one of the requirements of owning a ‘dangerous dog’The Council gave us 2 weeks to build our dog a 12 x 12m cage with full shade cloth on each panel and tarp on the top. Which was a total cost of $2500 and numerous hours in labour as my partners Father and himself as business man made the custom built cage, just so we could have it mobile to be able to move around if we ever move house.There is no respect, or human decency from the council’s behalf. We feel as if we are and have been HARRASSED and BULLIED for the last 2 years over this matter!We have had numerous phone calls, text messages, letters, and emails from the council all regarding Neo. Phone calls on a Sunday morning eg. Easter Sunday, the Cairns City Council come to inspect the cage had been built, while my family was up from NSW having lunch. And demanded if he didn’t see the cage on that day we would be distributed a fine. After that day, we had confirmation from the council that the cage was up to standard with their requirements. We thought it was all over. FINALLY.Until receiving another request from the council. That the shade cloth around the cage was not up to standard as the front gate hadn’t been covered. He issued us 2 days to have this rectified. I work 5 days a week as a apprentice hairdresser, and my partner owns his own small business as a carpenter. We had no time to go and spend MORE money after the thousands and thousands of dollars we had already spent. They would not give us an extension we had no options.A few days later, we were issued with a fine from the council of $948 for not complying with council requirements. This is when I had enough. I have no option but to start this petition, as my member of parliament to advise you of the Cairns City Council's Animal Management in this town of cairns pushing their power and not having any respect or curtesy to finally put this issue to an END. As you know, life gets stressful at times. With my partner and I working full time jobs, running a small business, paying rent, taxes, dog registrations plus all of the costs now we have to fork out for fines, cages etc. to the CAIRNS CITY COUNCIL. My dog has NEVER jumped the fence since living in Bentley Park back in 2016.

We are asking for you help.

Please sign this petition and help us to stop this unfair discrimination of our beautiful family pet 'Neo' who we love so dearly.